Boiler having refractory headers



March 3, 1964 Filed Sept. 22, 1961 INVENTOR. MORTON M. ROSENFELD M H. M

ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fi ice 3,l23,h55 Patented him. a, 1964 3,123,055 BOHER HAVlNG REFRACTORY IEADERS Morton M. Rosenfeld, 271 Madison Ave., Mount Vernon, N .Y. Filed Sept. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 140,099 2 Claims. (Cl. 122235) This invention relates to boilers, and more particularly to a boiler having a refractory header.

Heretofore, it has been conventional in the boiler art to provide the boiler with metallic headers having a manifold passage therein. Such headers are welded or brazed to the water tubes. After a substantial period of use, the metallic headers corrode or get clogged and must be replaced. The replacement of a header is generally so expensive so as to require a replacement of the entire boiler.

The present invention is directed to a boiler having refractory header plates which may be easily and quickly replaced. Refractory header plates are cheaper than metallic header plates and can withstand temperatures up to 3000" F. The refractory headers of the present invention may be assembled with respect to the remaining elements of the boiler on the job site.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a boiler having refractory headers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple boiler which may be assembled at the job site.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a boiler having refractory headers connected to water tubes in a manner to allow for expansion and contraction of the tubes due to temperature changes.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred, it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a transverse sectional view of the boiler of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the connection between a typical tube and a header.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a boiler designated generally as it).

The boiler includes a water tank 12 having a water inlet pipe 14 connected thereto in a manner so that water is maintained in the tank 12 at the water level 16. The tank 12 is supported in any convenient manner above headers 20 and 24. The header 20 is provided with a manifold passage 22 and the header 24 is provided with a manifold passage 26. A pipe 18 allows Water from within the tank 12 to flow into the manifold passage 22.

The headers 26 and 24 are made from refractory material. The term refractory material is to be interpreted as any non-metallic, non-corrosive, high temperature resistant material such as refractory concrete, ceramics, ceramic coated porous materials, non-metallic earth derivatives, etc. As illustrated, the headers 20 and 24 are disposed in parallel planes at an angle of approximately fifteen degrees from the vertical. However, it will be appreciated that the headers 2% and 24 may be utilized in other types of boilers wherein they will be disposed in spaced parallel, vertical or horizontal planes.

A housing 28 is disposed intermediate the headers 20 and 24. The housing 28 is provided with an inlet conduit 3i and an outlet conduit 32. Hot air from any convenient source is introduced into the housing 28 by conduit 30 and leaves the housing 28 by conduit 32. The housing 28 is provided with spaced parallel side walls 34 and 36. A plurality of water tubes 38 disposed at approximately a fifteen degree angle with respect to the horizontal extend through aligned holes in the side walls as and 36. The peripheries of the tubes 38 are preferably welded or brazed to the side walls 34 and 36. The tubes 38 are of suflicient length so as to extend beyond the side walls 34 and 36 into holes in the headers 20 and 24 as will be made clear hereinafter.

The header 2% is removably secured to the housing 28 by means of a C-shaped clamp 40 with a chamber 42 being provided between the header 20 and the side wall 34. The header 24 is removably secured to the housing 28 by a plurality of C-shaped clamps 40 with a chamber 44 being provided between the wall 36 and the header 24. The chambers 42 and 44 provide for expansion of the housing 28 due to temperature changes.

A pipe 46 provides communication between the manifold passage 26 and the chamber within the tank 12 above the water level 16. In this manner, steam may be utilized to preheat the water within the tank 12. The steam is conveyed from the tank 12 through conduit 48 to any convenient point where it is to be utilized. A pipe 56 provides communication between the manifold passage 26 and a mud collector 52. The mud collector 52 is preferably provided with a movable bottom wall so that mud may be removed therefrom. If desired, the side walls 34 and 36 may be eliminated. However, the side walls 34 and 36 space the headers 24 and 20 from the hot air passing through the housing 28 and provide a convenient means for securing or mounting the tubes 38.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 2, a bellows 54 has one end welded or brazed or otherwise secured to one end of the tube 38. Such one end of the tube 33 is disposed intermediate one of the walls defining the header 24. The other end of the bellows 54 is secured in a recess in said wall of the header 24 by caulking compound 56. In order to secure the caulking compound to the header 24 and the bellows 54, the header 24 is provided with a removable panel 58 having handles 669 thereon. After the bellows have been caulked to the header 24, the panel 58 is inserted in the disposition illustrated in FIGURE 1 and caulked to the header 24. It will be appreciated that the header 2t) is identical with the header 24.

The operation of the boiler 10 of the present invention is as follows:

Cold water is continuously supplied to the tank 12 from any convenient source through inlet pipe 14 so as to maintain water within the tank 12 at the water level 16. The water flows from the tank 12 through the pipe 18 into the manifold passage 22. From the manifold passage 22, the water passes through the pipe 38 toward the manifold passage 26 in the header 24. As the water passes through the pipe 38, it is converted into steam. Hot air at an elevated temperature passes from the conduit 36 through the housing 28 and through the conduit 32. If desired, such hot air may be recirculated through the housing 23.

As the hot air passes through the housing 28, it increases the temperature of the pipes 33 to a point whereby the temperature of the pipes 38 causes the water passing therethrough to be converted into steam. The steam passes through the manifold passage 26 and pipe 46 into the upper portion of the tank 12. The steam in the upper portion of the tank 12 preheats the cold water and is conveyed therefrom by pipe 48 to any convenient point where it will be utilized. Impurities in the cold water will collect in the bottom portion of the header 24 and pass through the pipe 5! into the mud collector 52.

As the temperature of the housing 28 increases, the walls 34 and 36 may expand into the chambers 42 and 44. As the temperature of the tubes 38 increases, the

bellows 54 at each end of each tube permit the endwise expansion thereof. If it is desired to remove one of the headers 24, the clamps 419 between the header intended to be removed and the housing 28 will be loosened and a force exerted on the header in a direction corresponding with the longitudinal axis of the tubes 33 will be applied. Such force will rupture the caulking compound 55 and thereby enable a separation between tne header and the adjacent ends of the tubes 38.

The headers 29 and 24 will be made from a refractory material capable of withstanding the temperature of superheated steam without cracking. The refractory headers 26 and 24 are not susceptible to corrosion and may be replaced at a minor cost whenever desired. Also, the structural interrelationship of the headers and the housing 23 enables these elements to be assembled at the job site.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A boiler comprising a pair of heat resistant, noncorrosive, non-metallic refractory headers having manifold passages therethrough, a plurality of metal Water tubes extending between said headers, said metal tubes providing communication between manifold passages in said headers, means connecting said tubes to said headers so as to accommodate thermal expansion of said tubes with respect to said header, means for supplying a liquid to the manifold passage in one of said headers and causing the liquid to flow from said one header through said tubes to the manifold passage in said other header, means for heating said tubes to an elevated temperature so that the liquid passing through said tubes changes to a vapor means for removably securing said headers to said tubes, and means for removing said vapor from the manifold passage in said other header. f

2. A boiler comprising a pair of heat resistant noncorrosive, non-metallic headers having manifold passages therethrough, a plurality of water tubes extending between said headers, said tubes providing communication between manifold passages in said headers, means connecting said tubes to said headers so as to accommodate thermal expansion of said tubes, means for supplying a liquid to said manifold passages in one of said headers and causing the liquid to flow from said one header through said tubes to the manifold passage in said other header, means for heating said tubes to an elevated temperature so that the liquid passing through said tubes changes to a vapor, means for removing said vapor from the manifold passage in said other header, said means for heating said tubes including a housing surrounding said tubes and fixedly secured thereto, means for applying a hot fluid through said housing, said housing being disposed between and spaced from said headers, and means for removably securing said headers to said housing and tubes in order to replace said headers.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 773,106 Stier Oct. 25, 1904 976,103 Sellers et al Nov. 15, 1910 1,661,542 Nicholson Mar. 6, 1928 1,822,715 Udell Sept. 8, 1931 2,044,457 Young June 16, 1936 2,652,037 Lewis et al. Sept. 15, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 291,551 Great Britain June 7, 1928 

1. A BOILER COMPRISING A PAIR OF HEAT RESISTANT, NONCORROSIVE, NON-METALLIC REFRACTORY HEADERS HAVING MANIFOLD PASSAGES THERETHROUGH, A PLURALITY OF METAL WATER TUBES EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID HEADERS, SAID METAL TUBES PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MANIFOLD PASSAGES IN SAID HEADERS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID TUBES TO SAID HEADERS SO AS TO ACCOMMODATE THERMAL EXPANSION OF SAID TUBES WITH RESPECT TO SAID HEADER, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A LIQUID TO THE MANIFOLD PASSAGE IN ONE OF SAID HEADERS AND CAUSING THE LIQUID TO FLOW FROM SAID ONE HEADER THROUGH SAID TUBES TO THE MANIFOLD PASSAGE IN SAID OTHER HEADER, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID TUBES TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE SO THAT THE LIQUID PASSING THROUGH SAID TUBES CHANGES TO A VAPOR MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID HEADERS TO SAID TUBES, AND MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID VAPOR FROM THE MANIFOLD PASSAGE IN SAID OTHER HEADER. 